Ding! Ding!
Thank you, @Mürsel Kenan, for joining the memberships.
I'm truly grateful.
Bonus(1/1)
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Chapter 79: Mrs. Yukinoshita: "You Brat, Don't Tell Me You Plan to Marry Both?!"
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Next to him, Yukino Yukinoshita's frame was trembling. She kept her head low, teeth gritting against her lip.
I was the one who met him first! Why is this... Classic "White Album" thoughts swirled through her mind, plunging her thoughts into a chaotic, heartbreaking fog. Sensing the shift in the atmosphere, Seito glanced sideways. In an instant, he understood. He wasn't a fool; Yukino's feelings were written in the very way she held her breath.
Without a word, Seito shifted his weight, leaning his shoulder firmly against Yukino's. The sudden contact startled her.
Teary-eyed, Yukino looked up to see Seito watching her out of the corner of his eye. At that moment, both Mrs. Yukinoshita and Haruno noticed the girl's distress. Haruno looked awkward, while her mother sat in stunned silence.
What is going on? Mrs. Yukinoshita had always assumed only Haruno carried a torch for the boy. After all, Yukino hadn't brought Seito home once since their third year of middle school. But now, even a blind man could see that her youngest daughter was just as invested.
The matriarch felt a headache coming on. She had already given her word, and in their world, a verbal contract was binding. She shot a glance of deep apology toward Yukino. She loved her daughters—despite her strict demands and the weight of the family legacy, she truly cared for their happiness.
"Yukino, you're not doing a very good job with that 'ice queen' act," Seito teased. His voice sounded flippant, but his actions said otherwise. He reached out, resting one hand on Yukino's head while the other gently brushed a stray tear from the corner of her eye.
The tenderness of the gesture calmed Yukino's racing heart almost immediately.
"Um... Mother, I'm going to take Yukino-chan back to her room," Haruno said quickly, standing up and pulling her sister to her feet. Seeing her mother nod silently, Haruno hurried Yukino out of the parlor.
Now, only Mrs. Yukinoshita and Seito remained.
"I didn't realize that back in middle school, you had already managed to wrap both of my daughters around your finger," she said, dropping her formal mask and looking at Seito with a weary sigh.
Seito gave a faint, knowing smile. He had the "Seducer's Manual" from his past life etched into his brain. For high-cold beauties like Kaguya, he used "internet-illiterate" cheesy lines. For the Yukinoshita sisters, he used something else. Whatever worked, worked.
"How has your health been lately, Auntie?"
Seito relaxed into the sofa. Now that the "official business" was temporarily paused, he reverted to his natural, easy-going self. They had known each other a long time, after all.
"Fine. The game management is handled, and the family assets are stable. However..." Her expression turned grave. "Seito, I am entrusting Haruno to you. You must treat her well."
Haruno had lived for twenty years as a "fake"—wearing a mask to please the world and protect the family. Mrs. Yukinoshita knew it, and so did Seito. Seeing that Haruno finally had someone she genuinely liked, the mother had moved quickly to secure her daughter's future. She wanted Haruno to be able to go home and finally take off the mask.
"About that..." Seito didn't answer directly. Instead, he leaned forward. "Auntie, I recall that in some high-standing families, it's not unheard of for a man to take more than one wife... Don't you think that could be...?"
In this combined world, some of the old traditions of the Dragon Country had persisted among the elite. While most commoners practiced monogamy for economic reasons, the powerful often played by different rules.
"You brat, don't tell me you plan to marry both?!"
Mrs. Yukinoshita's eyes widened. This boy was too greedy! Did he want to sweep the entire Yukinoshita household under his rug? Wait, does he mean me too? she wondered privately.
"I just can't stand to see Yukino so heartbroken," Seito said, sounding remarkably righteous.
"Heh," she scoffed. "Young man, don't be so reckless. Marry several? Your health will collapse before you're thirty!"
"Don't worry about that," Seito smirked. "My stamina is top-tier."
He was someone who had manifested his in-game power into reality! Two? He could handle ten and not break a sweat. This woman was definitely underestimating him.
"If you won't listen to your elders, you'll regret it later," she sighed, shaking her head.
"Auntie, do you want to test me or something? I told you, I'm fine." Seito was genuinely annoyed now. She was talking as if he had some sort of deficiency!
Mrs. Yukinoshita froze. Test him? How? Does he mean... An awkward flush crept up her neck. Since her husband's passing, Seito was the only "male" she felt
comfortable talking to with such candor.
Realizing he had misspoken, Seito also felt a wave of awkwardness. She was essentially his mother-in-law now; he couldn't just say things like that.
The silence grew heavy. Finally, she stood up. "I'll go pour some more tea. Stay there."
She turned to walk away, but then—the 80% Law of Anime Clumsiness struck! Her heel caught the edge of the sofa, and she lost her balance, falling directly toward Seito...
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Thank you for reading.